Atherosclerosis is the hardening and narrowing of the arteries; it silently and slowly blocks arteries, putting blood flow at risk. Fatty material called atheroma builds up in the lining of artery walls and with time, it leads to narrowing of the arteries.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of arrhythmia and a major cause of stroke. As I explained in my previous story an arrhythmia is a problem with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. During an arrhythmia, the heart can beat too fast, too slow, or with an irregular rhythm.

There are numerous definitions in the literature for arrhythmia which usually refers to any change from the normal sequence of electrical impulses or it also could be a problem with the rate or rhythm of heart beat, which means that the electrical impulses may happen too fast, too slowly, or erratically – causing the heart to beat too fast, too slowly, or erratically.